Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-12-08

SELF TO hope that no chance resemblance had
deceived these usually astute men. Then he
thought: 81 will not allow myself to even
hope until am sure. 1t is impossible
II beg of you. N. Laroque, do not look so
frightened or unhappy. assure you, on my
honor as a man, and as ono who has uncon-
sciously wronged both you and that poor
young lady lying within, that am not mis-
taken; that is your wife, beyond doubt. We
found a body in the river, it is true, which
was supposed to DO hers, but the river, you
know, is quite far from here, and it is very
certain now that it was that of some unfor-
tunate person not your wife. Where she has
been all these years, how she has returned
and entered here, is more than can tell, and
then, besides, her presence on that balcony
that strange cry we heard calling your name
Why, can you not seel Do you not feelT
sAlasI said Roger, in husky whisper, 81
have suffered so much that dare not hope.
Let me be until there is no possibility of
mistake. Oh, let me see herl"
"Wait-wait just ono little minute till the
doctor comes. But how is it that everything
is so clean and in such perfect order herel
This house has been uninhabited ever since
your uncle took the little one away. She
may have been living here unknown to any
body all this while.n
''No, for when returned to this country
one of my first visits was to this place, and
the neglected air was too painful to me, so l
went as William Forney aud leased both
these places, and had Mother Dondaine put
both houses in order, and if what you think
could possibly be true, l shall be doubly glad
did sou
During this conversation Pivolot was doing
all he could to restore the poor young woman
to consciousness, but without avail. She
breathed, however, regularly though family,
and knowing nothing better to do lie retired
from sight of her and stood waiting for Iris
tot to return
Tristot had found and sent tho doctor post
haste, without saying who he was to find at
the supposed deserted house. When he
reached there and found the two magistrates
and tho American he was surprised, but when
he saw his patient his astonishment turned to
absolute fear so that it was with difficulty
he could administer the needful remedies
When he came out Of the room he saw that
the strange man appeared horribly agitated,
and that he clasped his hands as no said in
an entreating voice: doctor, | pray you
tell me if you know herf'
"Who are you, and have you a right to ask ~
ile ndS, UOCLOI, NJ l4tCTOiX, ana
is our request that yon tell him if you know. {"
"Very well, then. It is the lady whom we
have all believed dead these ten years, whose
supposed body l saw and whose funeral
attended-in a word, Mime. Henriette La
rogue"
"Are you positive-certain, without the
possibility Of doubts Tell me true, doctorr'
"Of course / am. Haven't | known her
IL,
tended her and her little girl in every illness
they had2 only wonder how could have
been such laundering donkey before"
Still Roger dared not hope. lie could be-
heve no one but himself, and he had not seen
her. Besides, he thought, there is but one
lamp, and by its feeble light they cannot see
clearly, and so the poor man tried to shut his
heart against hope, fearing disappointment
Just now Tristot was heard without, and
come one with him, and he came up stairs
with triumphant air aid a handful of
candles which he had hastily purchased.
The person who was with him was not
Mother Dondaine, but the good and gentle
old Nine. Dubois. He had eeen her hurrying
along the street, peeping 0nxiously in every
direction, as If hunting Tor come one or some
thing.
seen young woman dressed in black pass by
here? She slipped out end cannot find her.
She 10 Just like little child in her mind, sir
enc Of Gods own you know, q natural,
and 1 am so frightened l don't know what
viii become Of her here. She never wanted
to leave us at all in the valley"
"Come with me I think know some
thing. Is she your daughter"
M 10 irck toTfaarsd' nf our bCt,co lilo
the saints and miracles, and for ten years she
has lived with us, and we loyed her and
treated her as if she was our own. She was
all dressed i'll blaci, with her beautiful hair
all hanging in loose curls, and she had on one
slipper only.
Sho never told US who she was or where she
came from, and if we asked her anything she
always said: Il know nothing about it, and
never saw anything and that was all"
Tristot was satisfied now, and in a few mo-
ments the old lady was by the poor Young
wife's side, but her efforts, like the doctors,
did not seem to arouse her. Still, the doctor
said, she was i'll no immediate danger, and
seemed more in a iethareic siunber than o
faint, and he questioned the cid woman, who
repeated her simple story, which convinced
all who heard it of Henriette's identity.
When Roger heard this story he was so
overcome with joy and with the reaction of
all the emotions through which he had passed
during the last few weeks, that he was ALSO
lutely unable to sustain himself. The
doctor said:
GWell, Roger, though it seems like reading
the widest romance to discover that you are
alive and here, and to know all that has
passed, must believe it all, strange rs il is
Now have this to say, and hopo you will
obey INC. | wish to give you a sleeping
potion and lei yoa get a rest, which you
greatly need. As TO poor Hcnriet.e, you
mayo in and sec her, just to satisfy your
self, but YOU must not let yourse be seen
1t is now certain that this poor child has been
demented all these years, as tho result
of the dreadful shock she experienced.
1t is possible, and even probable,
that this new shock on this poor child's brain
! and nervous sensibilities may restore her rea
son, repeating ITSELF so TO speak, in such o
manner as to call her shaken faculties to life
by the very thing which did her the first evil.
"You say, Mime Dubois, that she has ap-
peared restless and uneasy ever since you
brought her to Vile dAvray. In my opinion
that is a good symptom and showed awaken
ing intelligence. hardly dare assert that
size will be restored, still feel that | am JUS
tilted in telling you TO hope. Now, Roger,
you may lust step inside tho door and keep
behind the bed curtains and take one look,
but be careful no noise or motion to rouse
her. Come. will go first with the light"
With knees that almost refused their burden,
and ewes almost blinded with unshed tears,
Roger, sitting his very breath, crept after tho
doctor to verify or lose his last hope, and
with one last prayer to God for strength to
hear the disappointment if so it was to be, he
| looked through the curtains as the light fell
upon the sleeping face of his beloved wife.
Yes, il was She Her rich, dark hair lay in
massive waves and curls upon the white pill
| lows, and the marble white brow was that
he had so often kissed. Those beautiful blue
veined lids with the delicately penciled brows,
and thick, long lGshes hid the tender eyes OF
| Henriette, which were the indexes of a soul
so noble and pure The perfect oval of TIE
| face and the sensitive and beautiful mouth
were Henriettes own, and Roger often after
ward wondered why he did not die Of JOY
| then.
| lie would have stood there forever, absorbed
| in the delirium Of his happiness, had the
doctor not come and led him cut, softly clos
ing the door,
"Well, now, my boy, what do you think
1t is our lost one, is it notl You see your
sufferings are over, Roger. Come, now; you
must take what ! have hero and go to yom
room and lie down and give yourself up alb
solutely to repose, or we shall have you il
just when we want you well on her account
will stay here and watch her tonight il
company with this good woman. Tristot, yor
will go on to her house and tell them as mucl
1 fc nj hor